Annette Noella Blaise

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our smiling sister, Annette (Vachon) Blaise of Inglis, Manitoba who passed away peacefully on November 20th, 2021 at the age of 85, after a lengthy and painful illness.

Her quiet and gentle ways will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by her husband of 46 years, one adopted daughter Gaileen and her two sons, Seth (Krystel) and Eugene) Beaulieu, three grandchildren, seven sisters; one brother-in-law; three brothers and their spouses; her in-law family in Belgium and many nieces and nephews.

Annette was always easy to please, at work or at play, whatever was presented to her or asked of her she was satisfied and went about it in a seemingly relaxed and satisfied way. She was a heart person and as such she was happy to please.

A tangible example of this outstanding character trait is what she wrote in our Family Album: “One night my brother John phoned and said: ‘Anita just had a baby, she is very ill and I need help’. I could not refuse him this service. So I asked my superior for a leave of absence for one year. This gave me sufficient time to come to grip with what I was about and realized that religious life was not the answer”. (She had spent 20 years in the Order of the Oblate Sisters of Mary Immaculate in St. Boniface she left the Order.)

“After that year with John’s family she moved back to Winnipeg and worked at Zellers for a while then at St. Boniface Hospital. It was during that time that she met “a handsome young man by the name of Roger Blaise. This is when the happy years started for me.” They were married in October 18, 1975. Roger was employed in the mine in Thompson at the time. Unfortunately, due to Roger’s health problems they had to leave Thompson. They moved to Inglis and bought a garage which they operated as a team.

Not only did they work as a team in the garage, but from then on, it was edifying to witness their togetherness and deep mutual affection be it, in the gardens, the flower patches, wild-fruit picking, and even fishing! Both of them enjoyed the outdoors, their cats, and their gorgeous and beautiful flowers in the yard and in the house!

Not only did they work together, but they prayed together. Annette had a great devotion to Our Blessed Mother. ‘Maman’ Marie was very important to her, not surprising that she would die on a Saturday, the day dedicated to Mary. It was Father Payten, a great devotee to Mary who once wrote: “Who prays together, stays together.”

Annette, you have been a loving sister to us all and we love you forever. Now pray for us until we meet again in God’s heavenly abode!

Although the passing of Annette is a great loss for all of us who knew and loved her, we can truly say: God saw you getting tired, when a cure was not to be, He closed His arms around you and whispered: “Come to Me”.